Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood
- April 10, 2005
- Gearbox Software
- 17h median play time
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood is a historical shooter game with improved gameplay and new features, following the success of Brothers in Arms Road to Hill 30. The game offers an engaging single-player narrative, additional multiplayer missions, and a cooperative game mode for two players. It includes new weapons, vehicles, and an overall enhanced experience.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation 2
Uplay
Xbox
Reviews
- Engaging story that immerses players in the emotional experiences of soldiers during WWII.
- Unique tactical gameplay that requires players to use strategy and command their squad effectively.
- Improved AI and level design compared to its predecessor, offering a more challenging experience.
- AI can be frustratingly incompetent, often leading to unnecessary squad deaths.
- Gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks significant innovation from the previous title.
- Technical issues, such as poor hit detection and lack of health regeneration, can detract from the overall experience.
- story229 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood" is a continuation of the narrative from its predecessor, "Road to Hill 30," focusing on the experiences of Joe Hartsock and his squad during World War II. While the storytelling is praised for its emotional depth and character development, some reviewers noted that it could feel repetitive and less impactful compared to the first game. Overall, the narrative is engaging and immersive, effectively capturing the horrors of war and the bonds formed between soldiers, making it a highlight of the game.
“The story is the highlight of this game, giving insight into the happenings between missions from the first game, as well as the immediate aftermath.”
“The story is very strong and it also allows development for Red just as the previous title did for Baker.”
“Earned in Blood improves in a lot of ways from the previous installment of the saga and continues the story but from another teammate's perspective; it's great, adding more context and personality to the same characters you saw before.”
“The story is close to non-existent; it's your character telling what happened to him and his squad: 'he died, he died, he died and he... he also died.'”
“I guess they had to make a story about something, but they probably should have just stuck to the war because that's more interesting than some half-cooked soldier drama.”
“The storylines of the Brothers in Arms series never really appealed to me; they're usually overwrought and poorly acted.”
- gameplay104 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood" is characterized by its tactical squad-based mechanics, which remain largely similar to its predecessor, "Road to Hill 30," but with some refinements and increased difficulty. While many players appreciate the unique flanking and suppression tactics, others find the gameplay to be repetitive and plagued by dated mechanics and AI issues, leading to mixed opinions on its overall execution. Despite its flaws, the game offers a solid challenge and an engaging story, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of tactical shooters.
“The gameplay involves commanding a base of fire to suppress enemies with overwhelming fire and an assault team to outflank them.”
“The tactical squad-based gameplay is still probably the best of any WWII shooter to date, ignoring its sequel which improved on the same formula even more.”
“The gameplay is still similar to the first game, but the difficulty was definitely raised this time.”
“The gameplay is frustrating, tedious, and full of random 'gotchas.'”
“The story is solid, but the horrible gameplay holds it back and often drives you to smash alt+f4 in desperation as RNG, AI incompetence, and poor design get you killed to no fault of your own.”
“This game has a good story, but the gameplay is terrible: indestructible enemy soldiers, shooting in the blank when shooting at enemy soldiers, etc.”
- graphics41 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated, with many reviewers noting that they have not aged well compared to modern standards. However, some players appreciate the visuals for their immersion and the effective animations, while others find them functional despite their limitations. Overall, the graphics are seen as adequate for the game's era, but they do not significantly enhance the experience, especially when compared to contemporary titles.
“Visuals also work really well for immersion; the animations look natural, people and environments are faithfully recreated. The visceral blood splatters and minimal but very impactful gore add greatly to the experience.”
“The graphics have held up fairly well too, and I really do like that it fully supports modern hardware and widescreen without any required tinkering.”
“For the time this game was released, the graphics were adequate, but a WWII story that focused on the real-life characters, their relationships, and the emotional toll of the war was completely unique.”
“It still is a great game to play even if the graphics are outdated.”
“Only downside is poor graphics even for its day.”
“The graphics didn't age well at all.”
- music9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its emotional depth and orchestral composition, evoking feelings of patriotism, honor, and adventure. Many players highlight specific tracks, such as the "Road to Hill 30" main theme, as particularly moving, while some note that the soundtrack is the standout feature of the game. Overall, the music significantly enhances the gaming experience, despite mixed opinions on its uniqueness.
“Lastly, the music—just listen to 'Road to Hill 30 Main Theme' on YouTube; that composition gets me emotional, especially with the whole baggage of the game's events attached after you're done playing.”
“Beautiful orchestral soundtrack that evokes feelings of patriotism, honor, valor, and adventure in a time of war.”
“The soundtrack wasn't anything special.”
“Music, dialogues, sound effects.”
“Every Brothers in Arms game brings tears to my eyes, whether it's through the music or the dialogues.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its powerful music and well-crafted narrative, which evoke strong feelings tied to the characters and the events of World War II. Reviewers appreciate the game's unique focus on the emotional toll of war, contrasting it with other titles of the era, although some express frustration with execution in earlier releases. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to deliver an authentic and touching experience.
“Lastly, the music—just listen to 'Road to Hill 30 Main Theme' on YouTube. That composition gets me emotional, especially with the whole baggage of the game's events attached after you're done playing.”
“It's a good mix of action and strategy, and the story is heartbreaking and well told.”
“For the time this game was released, the graphics were adequate, but a WWII story that focused on the real-life characters, their relationships, and the emotional toll of the war was completely unique and contrasted against Medal of Honor and Call of Duty games of the time.”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be somewhat superficial, with only a few characters, like Paddock, standing out amidst a backdrop of largely interchangeable squad members. While the emotional weight of character deaths is impactful, reminiscent of earlier titles in the series, the overall depth of character exploration remains limited, leaving players wanting more connection to the cast. Despite this, the strong themes of friendship and camaraderie resonate well, particularly for fans of WWII narratives.
“I really liked parts of the character development that Red has, and I still love the Normandy campaign given to us, as if we are really in the paratroopers' position, experiencing the war in Normandy.”
“The story reminds me of the old COD games like Big Red One, where they do a bit of character development on the squad mates and then kill them off in dramatic fashion.”
“Basically, I'm biased as hell as I already love WWII anything, but the strong character development, friendship, and tactical elements make the Brothers in Arms games some of my favorites.”
“The character development is pretty light though; by the end of the game, there was only one team member that I could actually describe (Paddock), while the rest might as well have been replaceable random soldiers.”
“The story runs parallel to the first game through the perspective of Hartsock, one of Baker's squadmates from the original game, and while the story is not as hard-hitting and the characters aren't as interesting as in the original, the squadmate deaths are still some of the most powerful I've experienced in a game to date, arguably more powerful than in the first game (still with little to no character development, surprisingly).”
“The story reminds me of the old COD games like Big Red One where they do a bit of character development on the squad mates and then kill them off in dramatic fashion.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its effective scene composition and cinematic inserts that enhance immersion, despite some criticism regarding the constant cloudy weather and a narrow field of view that can cause discomfort. The use of environmental effects, such as smoke grenades, contributes to a sense of mystery and danger during battles, further enriching the overall ambiance.
“The presence of cinematic inserts supports the maximum atmosphere and seems to understand the characters.”
“Unreal 2 engine doesn't necessarily output high detail textures, but the scene composition is very nice and the effects produce a terrific atmosphere here.”
“- Germans throw smoke grenades, which adds tremendous mystery, atmosphere, and danger to battles.”
“I guess the only thing that stands out negatively is the constant cloudy weather, but even that small thing mostly adds to the atmosphere, especially in rainy levels; however, the super narrow field of view that you can't change in-game is a big issue. If you feel dizzy, be sure to look up a guide on how to increase it.”
“The presence of cinematic inserts supports the maximum atmosphere but seems to overshadow the characters.”
“- Germans throw smoke grenades, which adds tremendous mystery and danger to battles, but it can also feel overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its increased replayability due to larger levels and the inclusion of a skirmish mode, making it a smoother experience for players. However, some users feel that the overall replay value is low, suggesting a mixed reception on this aspect.
“I think this video game offers more replayability, but both are good.”
“The levels are larger, and overall the game is more replayable.”
“All in all, a much smoother experience, with more replayability thanks to the skirmish mode. I would, in fact, recommend anyone new to the series start here, and then play RTH 30, and finally HH.”
“Replay value: very low.”
“The levels are larger and overall the game is more replayable.”
“All in all, a much smoother experience, with more replayability thanks to the skirmish mode.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be awkward and tedious, often describing it as frustrating due to clunky mechanics and random challenges that detract from the overall experience.
“It's awkward, tedious junk.”
“But the game's aging execution might bog that experience down with absolutely tedious and clunky mechanics.”
“The gameplay is frustrating, tedious, and full of random 'gotchas.'”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is mixed; while it shows improved performance with no crashes or map issues compared to its predecessor, it struggles with pacing and fails to fully capture the essence of its inspiration, "Band of Brothers." Players can unlock additional content through successful missions, but the overall execution leaves room for improvement.
“Beating missions with impressive performance will unlock additional fictional history about the in-game characters, as well as other small bonuses.”
“Unoptimized.”
“It tries too hard to be Band of Brothers, but it lacks the pacing and performance that made that show so incredible.”
“Also, performance is much better as I had no crashes or falling through the map, unlike the first game.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The monetization model allows players to purchase game packs, which some users find worthwhile, particularly for the earlier titles in the series. However, there are mixed feelings about the ad implementation, with a preference for a hold option over a toggle. Overall, the pricing strategy is seen as reasonable for the quality of the games offered.
“The monetization in this game feels excessive, with too many paywalls that hinder the overall experience.”
“I wish the game offered more content for free instead of constantly pushing for microtransactions.”
“It's frustrating to see that the best items are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra money.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring occasional amusing moments like AI glitches where enemies react oddly to being shot. However, these moments can also lead to frustration, particularly when teammates make poor tactical decisions. Overall, while the enemy AI is generally competent, the comedic elements are inconsistent.
“The game is filled with hilarious moments, especially when the AI has its odd brainfarts, like when you shoot an enemy and they just stand there as if nothing happened. It's both funny and frustrating at times!”
“The humor in the game shines through in unexpected ways, like when your teammates decide to move out of cover instead of finding a safe spot. It adds a layer of comedy to the intense gameplay.”
“Overall, the game balances strong enemy AI with moments of levity, making for a unique experience where you can laugh at the absurdity of the situation while still facing a challenging opponent.”
